Fall Mantel Ideas

Welcome to Fall into Autumn! I’m here today with Fall Mantel ideas and inspiration for decorating around a very large TV. I don’t always decorate my family room for the seasons…except Christmas. It’s really my husband’s room and honestly, it’s ALL about the TV.

Several years ago we installed this gigantic television over our mantel. For us, it was the right choice. We were able to combine two focal points, the fireplace and TV, into one. This resulted into a better seating arrangement, which in turn opened up the room. Hanging the TV over the mantel was definitely a process but one that was totally worth it.

I started with fresh sunflowers in urns and paired them with leaf plates that I use every year. These little plates move around my house and land in a different place every Fall. This is the first time I have used them in the family room and I think they work with the urns and the white brick.

The brick wasn’t always white. You can read about our fireplace makeover if you are thinking of painting your fireplace. If you love your natural brick fireplace, by all means leave it alone. Ours was tired, in bad shape and sorely needed a face-lift. Of all the improvements we have made in our home since moving in, the fireplace and refinished staircase rank right up there as the top two.

I am usually a stickler for decorating with fresh or preserved natural elements. The sunflowers are fresh but I confess that all the pumpkins are fake, faux, not real. I knew if I bought real pumpkins this early they would turn to mold before October even arrived…so I did the practical thing and used what I had.

The gourds are real and the pine balls are preserved. Combining natural elements with artificial ones is a trick I use for a long-lasting arrangement. When my bittersweet is ready to cut, which should be very soon, I’ll add that to the basket.

Over the next few weeks, as I decorate my home for Fall, I’m going to try and repurpose things I already have. I also hope to show you how to take your fall decor and make it work for Christmas. Small color changes, reversible items and natural elements from my yard will make the transition from Autumn to Christmas easy and inexpensive.

Comments

Love the basket of pumpkins and gourds! I haven’t bought any fresh ones yet. One year I bought them early and placed them on the mantle where they grew mold on the bottom and we had to refinish the mantle! Whoops, live and learn. I’m visiting from the Thrifty Decor Chick link party.

Ann, I’m loving this series! You are my 4th stop! Love the white fireplace and boy do I understand decorating around the tv! It’s true that now you do have 2 focal points. I love the simplicity of your mantel. Your pumpkins sure look real to me!

So beautiful, Ann! I love how you’ve incorporated sunflowers into your Fall decor … they pop against your white fireplace! And, I love that you mix faux with real to make gorgeous displays! You know I can’t wait to see more of your Fall decor!

I really like the continuous pops of yellow you incorporate throughout the rooms in your house. The PB Savannah basket has been a favorite , and I would love to grow bittersweet. Hopefully I will find a plant next spring.

I just love everything you’ve done, Ann. The sunflower and plates, the baskets…very pretty! I’ll have to remember your tip of mixing faux with real. Now, how did you find such realistic looking pumpkins and what are pineballs? Do you make them? They are so pretty! :)

Very pretty Ann! Love the pops of color against the white fireplace! I can’t decorate with real pumpkins either….they’d be molded and gone in a couple weeks with our hot weather so faux it is! Beautiful mantel!~~Angela

Your Fall decorating is beautiful, i love the sunflowers and the pumpkins and gourd basket. Really pretty! And you’ve done a nice job of decorating around a large black box, thankfully I don’t have one of those so i never have to get too creative!

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